Don’t Stop the Party

07.05.12

Coachella to Remain in Indio

Chris Pizzello

Crisis averted. Popular music festival Coachella will continue to be held in Indio, Calif., after a city council member dropped his proposal to tax the event. Sam Torres hoped to put a 5-to-10 percent admission tax on the festival, which would have amounted to about $36 per ticket and cost festival promoter Goldenvoice between $4 million and $6 million. But Goldenvoice’s president threatened to cancel the 2014 event and move to a new location for 2015. On Thursday, Torres finally said he would “suspend” his tax bid, because of the potential economic damage if the festival relocated. Coachella sold $47 million in tickets last year and brought more than 50,000 visitors to the community.